Facebook has done a lot to stay relevant in the past few years. From hashtag integration to the introduction of trending topics and live streaming, Mark Zuckerberg ensures his social media platform never falls behind the times. This time, however, the Facebook CEO is trying to keep his brainchild ahead of the competition. And I mean FAR ahead.

Are you sitting down? You should be sitting down for this. Comfortable? Good. Facebook is rumored to be working on… telepathic communication.

Telepathic. Communication.

Yes, the same telepathic communication from your favorite sci-fi movies. The Professor X from X-Men type of communication. It’s absolutely ludicrous. But, as Business Insider reports, you have to put (most of) your skepticism aside and look at the facts.

“Building 8”

Last year, Facebook established a hardware research division called Building 8. Yes, that does sound eerily like something you might stumble upon in the rural Midwest, only to get chased away by armed guards.

Not only is Building 8 the perfect name for a top secret experimental facility, Zuckerberg admitted that’s ground zero for Facebook’s work on “brain-computer interface” technology. Hey, if anyone knows what that means, please let me know. “Brain-computer” certainly implies a connection between how the brain interacts with the computer. In other words, this is no ordinary project.

Help Wanted (Only Ph.Ds Need Apply)

Facebook recently posted three job openings on its website, none of which are jobs for a normal research project. The mysterious Building 8 is seeking a Brain-Computer Interface Engineer, a Neural Imaging Engineer, and a Haptics Engineer.

To be a successful Brain-Computer Interface Engineer, one must have a Ph.D in neuroscience and experience with neuroimaging and electrophysiological data.

Lastly, the ideal Haptics Engineer candidate will be responsible for creating “realistic and immersive haptics experiences.”

For those of you who, like myself, don’t know what most of these words mean, here’s a brief rundown. Neuroimaging is “the process of producing images of the structure or activity of the brain.” Basically, it’s how scientists understand the human brain. Haptic technology simulates physical touch via computers. Think vibrating video game controllers.

To sum it up, these three employees will most likely look for ways to send haptic feedback to the brain.

Zuck’s Into It

Zuckerberg has been thinking about telepathy for a while. In 2015, he said “One day, I believe we’ll be able to send full rich thoughts to each other directly using technology. You’ll just be able to think of something and your friends will immediately be able to experience it too.”

Clearly, none of this is definite. Zuckerberg isn’t going to be unveiling telepathic Facebook next week, or even next year. Even if he’s not working on telepathic communication via social media, he is working on something big that is bound to revolutionize the social media landscape.

About the Author

Russell Davey

Russell is a graduate of Marist College, with degrees in sports communication and public relations. Among his many passions are writing, sports marketing, social media, and lip syncing. When he's not doing client research he's hiking, working out, quoting TV shows, or putting peanut butter on any food he can. His self-esteem revolves entirely around his social media reputation, so follow him on Instagram (russell_the_muscle) and on Twitter (@bRussellSproutt). Please.